Buttonhole-sewing machine.



3 SHEETS-SHEET' l.

W .nl

Patented Feb. 20,1917

G. S. HILL.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHIN.. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26|`l9l5 RENEVIED IUI. 1l. 19H. 1,216,316.

s. s. HILL. BUTTUNHDLE SEWING MACHINE. 4 APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26| 19l5- RENEWEU MN- l. |911.

Patented Feb; 20,' 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2f UNITED sTATEs PaTENT oEFIoE.

GEORGE S. HILL, 0F STRAFFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, .AS SIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, 0F PATERSON, lNEIN JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

BUTTONHOLE-SEWING MACHINI i.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

Application filed February 26, 191'5, Serial No. 10,699. Renewed Janua ry 11, 1917. Serial No. 141,913.

'To all 'whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE .Si HILL, a citizen of the United States, resldmg at Strafford, in the county of Stratford and State of New I-lam ishire, have invented certain newv and 'usefu Improvements in Buttonhole- Sewing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to buttonhole sewing'machines of that class in which a Work holding clamp and a stitch forming mechanism are relatively movable to form overseam Stitches extending along the sides and about the ends of a buttonhole.

The object of the invention is toV provide novel and improved mechanism for -starting' the machine, for controlling the driving mechanism during the operation of the machine, and for stopping the machine at the completion of a cycle 'of' operations incident to cutting and sewing a buttonhole. To this end the invention comprises `the features of `construction and combinations of parts here ferr-ed form of the invention; Fig. 3 is a detailed plan view of the feed cam gear and Certain of the cams carried thereby; and Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional elevation on line L -1, Fig.` 3.

In the drawings the invention is illustrated as embodied in a buttonhole sewing machine haif'ing substantially the construc- `tion and mode of operation of the machine shown and described in Patent No. 1,063,880, June 3, 1913. In this machine the stitchforming mechanism comprises an upper needle 2 cccentricmll)Y mounted in a vertically reciprocating needle bar 4, an under Vneedle indicated in dotted lines at 6, and a coperating looper (not hewn). The upper needle bar and the under needle and looper are mounted respectively in a rotary head and in a rotary turret which arefrotated during the sew ng about the end and eye of a bllttonhole. Ihe work is 11i-,aiu il* a, Clamp which comprises upper cla-.n arms 8 Divoted on coperiting clamp pilates 10 'which are in turn mor nted on the clamp carrier 12. The clamp carrier is lroved longitudinally to bring the Wo rk into register with the buttonhole cutter L4, or into v'register with the stitch forming mechanism, and to feed 'the Work during t 1e sewing by a cam groove formed in a can gear 16, `which makes one revolution for each cycle of the machine. The clamp carrier is moved laterally, and the stitch forming mechanism is rotated during the sew ,ng through suitable connections from a gc ar 18 Which is mounted concentrically witi the gear 16, and which makes one revolution during the. sewing of each buttonhole. The .cutter 14 is operated from a cam on the gear 16, and when4 operated to cut a Juttonhole, also operates to close the clamp trms 8,- whi'ch are held closed rluring the sewing by latching devices mounted on the clamp carrier.

The stitch fc rming mechanism is driven during the sewi: 1g through a clutch mounted on the sewing shaft 20. The sewing clutch is thrown into and out of operation through a vertically mo\ able actuator bar 22, the upper end of whic 1 is connected with the clutch shifting devices and the lower end of `which is arranged to Je operated upon by a cam` ledge 2.4L carried by the rain gear 16.A

v When the machine is at rest the upper and i under needles are in their retracted' positions, and the cl imp 1s 1n positlon to register with the cutter md 1s open. When the machine is started, the gear 16 is given a par' rotation of the gear 18 is l ranged to engage stopped, while the rotation of the cam carrying gear 16 is continued at a high speed to return the clamp to initial position.

The mechanism for giving the gear 18 a single rotation during the sewing comprises a pinion 26 secured to the lower section of a vertical feed shaft 28. The feed shaft is driven from the sewing` shaft 2O through a Worm 30 secured to the sewing shaft, and a worm wheel 32 secured to the upper section of the feed shaft. The gear 16 is driven through a single revolution during each cycle of the machine by a pinion 3l secured to or formed on aclutch sleeve' 36 which is free to turn and slide, on the feed shaft 28. The gear is driven at ak high speed to operate. the cutter and move the clamp into sew- -ing position prior to the sewing, and to return the clamp to cuttingposition after the sewing has been completed, through a high speed clutch 38, one member of which is formed on the upper end of the sleeve 36, andthe other member of which is formed on a worm wheel 40 mounted to turn freely" 'aboutthe shaft 28 and driven through a' Worm 42 from a continuously rotating shaft 44. `The gear 16 is driven at comparatively slow speed during the' sewing of a buttonhole through a feed clutch, one member of which consists of a disk 16 formed on the lower'end of the sleeve 36, and the other member of which consists of a spring-pressed pin4 48 mountedy in the pinion 26 and ara shoulder or notch in the disk.

In embodying the invention in its preferred form in a,machine having the construction and mode of operation above described, the sleeve 36 is shifted to engage and disengage the clutches through which the feed cam gear 16 is actuated by a clutcli lever 50, one end of which is .connected to a ring 52 'arranged between collars on the sleeve, and the -other end of which is connected by a link 5l to a clutch shifting lever 56. A spring 58 is coiled'about the pivot pin of the lever 50, and tends to shift the lever in a direction to engage the high speedv clutch 38. The sleeve 36 is shifted to disengage the high speedclutch in stopping the and arranged 'to act vupon the end of the clutch shifter lever 56 as the clamp is moved into its initial position. The arm 60 also operates to retain the clutch carrying sleeve 36 in position until the machine 'is to be started. The arm 60 is therefore retained inl active position until the machine is to be started, and is then moved or` allowed to move into inactive positionfand thus re- `lease'theclutch shifting arm 56 and allow thehigh speed clutch to he engaged.` In-the construction-shoving theclutch operating and retaining'arm 60 is pivoted at its upper end lllpon afhraclet 62 formed on or secured t lthe clamp carrier, and ,is retained in active position by a latch 64 formed on the rear end of a trip lever 66 which is pivoted to the bracket 62. The latch is provided with a notch .adapted to engage a lug or shoulder 68 formed on the arm 60. A spring 70 is connected to the trip lever and arm 60, and tends to throw the arm into inactive position and to return the triplever and latch to active position when the trip lever is released by the operator. After the high speed clutch has been engaged7 and the machine thus started by operation of the trip lever7 the shiftingof the clutch sleeve 36 to successively engage and disengage the high speed and feed clutches is controlled by a cam carried on the cam gear 16, and it is preferred to utilize for this purpose the same cam ledge which controls the throwing in and out of the clutch which drives the sewing shaft 20. In the construction shown this is accomplished by providing the clutch vshifting lever 56 with a laterally projecting arm 72, the inner` end of which extends downward into position to ride o n to and off of the cam ledge 24'.

When the machine is at rest theI parts are in the position indicated in Fig. 2, and the clutch sleeve is heldin position by the engagement of the arm 60 with the end of the clutch shifting lever 56. At this time the lateral projection on the clutch shifting lever 56 registers` with the space between the ends ofthe cam ledge 24,'as indicated in Fig. 4:. Whei ghe machine is to be started, the operator depresses the triplever 66, thus releasing the arm 60 so that it may move into inactive position and release the clutch shifting lever 56. The clutch sleeve 36 is immediately shifted to engage the members "ofthe high speed clutch, and the cam gear 16 is driven at a high rate of speed. The high speed clutch continues to drive the gear until the inclined end of the cam ledge 21 engages the lever ,56, and then the lever \is rocked by the cam ledge to shift the clutch sleeve 36 and thus disengage the high speed clutch and engage the feed clutch. At the same timethe actuator har 22 rides off the end of the cam ledge 21,v thusV throwing inthe clutch which drives the sewing shaft 20. The gears 16 and 18 will now be driven from the sewing clutch during the sewing and -until the actuator bar 22 rides up the inclined end of the cam ledge 24 and disengages the sewing clutch, At this time the end of the clutch shifting lever 56 also rides off the other end of the cam led e 24,'so that the clutch sleeve 36 is again shifted tov disengage the feed clutch and reengage the high speed clutch 38. lVhile the gear 16-is being driven through the feed clutchthe clampfhas been moved forward and then back. to ythe position Where the sewing of the ;bdttonhole began. DuringA willA engage the end of the clutch shifting leverI 56 and `shift the clutch sleeve 36,'thus disengaging the high speed clutch and stopactuating the pin themachine.

hile it is preferred to employ the speciic construction and arrangement of4 parts shown and described in embodying the invention in the machine ofthe patent above referred to it will bey understood that this construction and arrangement are not essential to the broader features of the invention, and maybe varied and modified as found desirable or best suited to the construction of the machine in which the invention is to -be embodied.

.Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described 4one form of mechanism in which it may be embodied, what is claimed is z- 1. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in'combination, stitch forming mechanism, a work clamp, a feed cam, mechanism for actuating the feed cam, means mounted on the work clamp for throwing the actuating mechanism out of action when the clamp is in its initial position, and a manually operated trip in starting the machine.

2. Av buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a Work clamp a feed cam, mechanism for feed cam, a shifter for throwing the actuating mechanism into and out of action, an arm` on the clamp for operating the shifter to throw out the actuating mechanism when the clamp colnes into initial po-.

sitiornandl a manually operated trip for re-y taining the arin in active position.

3. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, Astitch forming mechanism, awork clamp a feed cam, mechanism for actuating the feed cain, a shifter for throwing the actuating mechanism into and out of action, an arm on the clamp foroperating.

the shifter to throw out the `actuating -me'chanism when the clamp comes-into initial po.-

sitiolnwa manually operated latchfor retainlng the arm 1n active position, and means for resetting the arm and latch during the travel rof the clamp.,

4. A` buttonhole sewing machine, having,

in combination, stitch forming mechanism,

a work clamp a feed cam, mechanism for actuating the eed cam, a shifter for throwfor rendering said means inactive' ing the actuating mecha nism into and out of action, an arm on the. clamp for operating the shifter to throw out the actuating mechanism when the clamp (omes into initial position, a manually operated latch for retaining the arm in actlve posltlon, and a sta' tionary pin for engagi 1g the armi Ito reset the arm and latch during the travel of th clamp.

5. A buttonhole sewi` 1g machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a work clamp, a feed cam, mechanism for actuating the feed cam means mounted on the work clamp for throwing the actuating'- mechanism out'of actio i when the clamp is in initial position, a manually operated trip for rendering said means inactive in 'starting the machine, and a cam for controllingl the actuating mechanis n duringthe travel `,of the clamp. i

clutch for driving the feed cam from said` actuating mechanism, a ad a cam for throwing the actuating mecha nism into and out of t action and also engaging and disengaging the clutch.

8.y A buttonhole sewi ug macliine, having, in combination, stitch `f1 rm'ing mechanism, a work clamp, a feed cam for the work clamp, high' speed and feed `lrives for the cam, manually controlled means on the work .clamp for Irendering both drives inactive when the clamp is in i1 .itial position, and a travel of the clamp.

9. Ay buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch Forming mechanism, driving mechanism-the:efor, a work clamp, a feed cam gear, a clutch for driving the cam gear from said drivingv mechanism during the sewing, .a clutch for driving the cam gear before and after the sewing, manually controlled means 'on the work clamp for jcam for controlling the drives during the.

throwing the latter clutch into and out ofV action, and means for controlling the clutches at' the beginn ,ng and end tif the sewing.

10. A buttonholesew .ng machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, Adriving mechanism the efor` a ,work clamp, a feed cam gear, a chtch for driving the a cam on the cam gear for shifting said' clutches at the beginning and end of the sewing. g

11. A buttonhole sewing machine, having,

lin combination, stitch forming mechanism,

driving-mechanism therefor, a Work clamp, a feed Qcam', a clutch for driving the feedV cam from said driving mechanism during the sewing, a clutch for driving the 4feed cam before and after the sewing, and a cam connected with the feed cam for controllingsaid driving mechanism and for shifting trolling the throwing in and out of said actuating mechanism, and high speed and feed drives forxthe feed cam controlled hy said'cam ledge independently of the control of said actuating mechanism. v

GEORGE SuHILL.

Witnesseszy CHESTER E. ROGERS, LAURA M. GooDRIDGE.

Copies of this patent ma'y be obtained for five cents each, b y addressing'the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

a Work 

